


The Cost Of Freedom

by HopelessStar



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Comedy, F/M, Rating May Change, Reader-Insert, Romance, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:33:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26134261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopelessStar/pseuds/HopelessStar
Summary: You've never been free, never been yourself. You've always been under someone's thumb. You've come to accept that during your 20 years of captivity. Even learning you had a twin, and that he had found a home and freedom, you had accepted that you'd  never have the chance.You thought you had accepted it, that you were nothing but a weapon.Turns out 'thought' was past tense, and things had greatly changed. Maybe freedom awaited you after all.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Reader, Ignis Scientia/Reader, Noctis Lucis Caelum/Reader, Platonic Relationships - Relationship, Prompto Argentum/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	The Cost Of Freedom

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Road Trippin' With The Boys](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10947468) by [xikra1648](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xikra1648/pseuds/xikra1648). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You dream of a normal life, now it might actually happen. If you survive that is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't usually write in 2nd person like this, so keeping the tenses proper were a bit of a challenge, but it was fun to write. Might still try 3rd person (which is my norm) for the next chapter and see how it feels.
> 
> Your appearance has been decided for this for plot reasons, so please forgive me for that. Hope you enjoy it all the same!
> 
> Inspired by Xkira1648's Freedom One shots, and written with permission!

You were a normal girl, with a normal family in a normal house. You know how it was, a mother, a father, a brother, house with a front yard, mom tending the garden, dad fixing the car in the driveway, backyard getting unused until you and your brother were done playing video games. In your dreams.

Seriously, you actually dreamed of having a normal, mundane life. But the intricate barcode tattooed on your wrist spoke or your unique circumstances, you knew it was too much to ask. Your reality was much more barren and lonely. A cell would be a kind description to where you lived, but it was the truth. Your cot was old and stained, your handful of clothes in better shape at least. The cement walls held nothing but the monitored door, and the small window you had was reinforced, barred, and guarded from the outside.

That didn't mean sneaking out was  _ impossible _ , it was just an endeavor that took a lot of effort. Effort you were willing to put forth, especially during your rebellious teen years. Though, there wasn't much to find at first. Most important documents were digital, something you couldn't access without being noticed. Papers however were easier, it was just a matter of finding the right ones, and eventually you did. And what did you find?

You had a twin, a living, breathing twin. You had family, you had a brother. Though he had been taken long ago, longer than either of you could remember. Though he wasn't like you from what anyone could tell, only you got the powers. He was normal, unlike you. You who had inherited powers that the scientists still poked and prodded to try and replicate but only failed. Nothing ever worked as well as how you turned out.

What if you had been taken away instead? Flickers of hope, however unlikely were all you had to grasp onto to keep yourself sane. Was it foolish to cling to this information with the hope maybe you could meet him to forge a connection because you shared DNA and  _ weren't _ dead? Maybe… most definitely, but it was only when you turned 19 that the hope flickered out.

It was time to grow up and face reality. You were a weapon, and you'd die a weapon. If you tried to escape, as soon as you were caught they'd kill you and use what was left to try and make more. That is if they were being kind. If they weren't, well, you shuddered at the thought of how long you'd be in the box. Death was kinder than the box.

Therefore, you found it best if you focused on your duties. Mainly letting the scientists continue their experiments, even wearing hazmat suits if they actually had to touch you as if what you carried was some sort of disease. Sometimes you were brought out for fights they deemed your powers valuable for. But most of it was a shit load of sitting in your cell and doing nothing.

At least until the closest person you had to a friend came to get you. There was a knock on the cell door, the only way you knew it was her. Everyone else just barged in. She treated you like a human when she could, in front of your superiors, Aranea still treated you as best as she could. Friendly, but professional. She had even kept you an extra day under the guise the job was taking longer to help you get your ears pierced. And she always let you pick where you got food if you had the chance.

"Hey kiddo, we have a job to do. Different sort this time though." Aranea sighed, hand on her hip as you stood. You remained quiet, nodding your head in her direction. "We're to both keep an eye on Ravus Nox Fleuret, the Emperor doesn't trust him. If you see him doing anything that would be considered betraying the Empire, you have permission to kill." Aranea rolled her eyes, you let out a soft cuff of a laugh, not daring to let yourself chuckle right now.

"Yes ma'am." You nodded, not allowed to say anything else. That was your duty, your duty as a weapon.

Mission babysit Ravus Nox Fleuret and be prepared to kill him because the Emperor doesn't trust him, was a go.

That was how you ended up following Ravus, a lot. It was even more boring than being in your cell and doing nothing, at least in your cell you had semblance of privacy. Following Ravus, someone else was always there. Namely Ravus, who was pretty much as quiet as you were. And he treated you just like anyone else, to be seen and not heard, not seen at all if it could be helped. Each time he did see you, he sneered, the man definitely growing some sort of hatred towards you. It's not like he had a reason to. Not like you used your power to make a barrier between him and whomever he tried to fight whenever things didn't go his way.

Oh wait, you did.

It happened several times, but it had to be done.

But, maybe you were a bit thankful for the job. After all, it still got you out for a while. And it was escorting Ravus that brought you to the imperial base in the Duscae region. Of all the things, you were getting dragged into a conflict with Prince Noctis and his retinue, over a car. You had heard people could get attached to their car, but as someone who had nothing to get attached to, the idea was just plain absurd.

Any Lucian would happily just  _ give _ their car to the Prince. So why bother walking into a situation that quite obviously had the potential to be a trap? How stupid were they? Incredibly if they didn't take that into consideration. Whatever, it wasn't your problem. You remained hidden as the four of them made it through the base. It was almost impressive how precise each warp strike was, practically each one was falling one of the Imperial Troopers. Not that the Troopers were known for their intelligence or competency. But steadily troops were falling, and they could still only take so many losses. The sun was starting to rise and the Prince and his entourage were focusing on the car after clearing most of the base, that was when Ravus made his move. And you were following behind him as if you were his shadow. His smaller, plainer, much less impressive shadow.

You were dressed much different than the others, even Aranea. Ravus had a magitek arm, and everyone else of rank had ornate armor or the finest make of clothing. But you? You were comfortable in your dark blue skinny jeans, white tank top, a blue sweater with black accents, and your trusty black combat boots. Your hood was up most of the time, one of the few reasons why your ear piercings had gone unnoticed for so long, and your blonde braid spilled out of the hood and down your front. Slowly you looked up, light blue eyes just visible under the angle of your hood as you looked the four men over. You were getting prepared to kill them if it came to it.

Then you froze.

No… It couldn't be?

Every hope you had buried began to flicker to life once more as blue eyes met blue violet ones. Blue eyes, blonde hair, a very similar facial structure, it was almost as if you were looking in the mirror. The pictures you had seen of your twin were him as a young kid, but even having grown up the similarities were still there. You couldn't know for certain, but you  _ hoped _ ?

You had seen Noctis and his advisor sneak through the base to open the way for the other two. Of course you knew people bonded, worked together and made friends. But until now, it hadn't been your fate to do so, you had no choice, no chance.

_ It would never be your fate if you don't take it into your own hands and change it. You are in a different country, you weren't being tracked as far as you know, you are  _ strong _. _

You liked to think that was the driving force behind the decision, but it was definitely the childish hope that you could make a connection with the only family you knew you had.

A fight was starting to brew, breaking you from your internal reverie. The Prince swung at Ravus first, the white haired man easily blocking it and striking back. Though this time it was the Crown Shield who was blocking the counterattack, though his knees buckled and was pushed back. You knew Ravus, you knew how he fought and recognized how his weight shifted as he prepared to strike again, though the Shield was preparing to do the same.

Your hand lifted out of your pocket, sleeve slipping slightly down your arm as the red glass like barrier formed between them. The Shield was taken by surprise, stepping back, while Ravus didn't react like usual. His lips turned into a smirk instead of a sneer, not even looking in your direction. Like he thought he had the upper hand, a  _ secret weapon _ .

_ That was all you are, that's all they think of you as. A weapon. You could take them, all of them. Just make a damn  _ **_choice_ ** _. _

"Lucis has their weapons, the Empire has their own."

_ Weapon. That's all you were. A Weapon. _

Your outstretched hand began to tremble, not from weakness, but from anger. Twenty years of repressed humanity came surging forth. You knew you were nothing but a weapon to the Empire. But never once had anyone said it to your face. Not until now. And now that it had been said…

No. More.

Your other hand whipped out from your sweater, tugging and pulling your barrier to manipulate it. Wrapping it around the former prince and tossing him aside like a ragdoll. If only you could do more, but you know Magiteck engines were seconds away, with magiteck soldiers and heavy machinery on the way. You'd be swarmed before you could count to five. You were already running to the four Luciens, each wearing an understandable expression of confusion.

"Go! Run! If you don't get out now, you likely won't get the chance!" You snapped, the shadows of the multiple airships above you. Troopers were already dropping. You'd have to fight to get to the car.

Or at least… they would. It didn't matter that you were throwing up barriers left and right, both protecting and attacking with the barriers so the grunts didn't get a cheap shot in on the Prince and his friends. They'd leave you behind as soon as they were able. It was the logical thing, you had been the enemy after all. And now the five of you were quickly getting outnumbered.

"Clear out!" Came the command from the Prince. You expected the call to be for a tactful retreat, the most logical response. But there was a shadow growing larger, and looking up you say the source. Ramuh, the large deity reaching to pull Noctis to safety. Then you understood the plan. The Astral would buy them enough time to escape, but likely the only safety he was concerned about was for the Crown Prince who summoned him.

Making the fact that the blonde gunner was getting surrounded and unable to break away to safety all the more distressing. There was no time to think, just act.

So you ran towards the other blonde, with little regard for your own safety. You were nicked by swords and axes as you ran past magiteck soldiers. Sliding through the rest of the group, you were able to stand above Prompto and form a barrier around the two of you mere seconds before the violet colored lightning struck. You were thankful that you weren't touching your twin when it happened, for the lightning struck your barrier and arced  _ through _ you. You couldn't be certain if you screamed, it certainly felt like it though you couldn't hear it. You clung to consciousness to keep the barrier up, but as soon as the bolts stopped, so did everything else.

Your vision blurred before it blackened, felt the sensation of falling before you couldn't feel anything at all as you fell. Perhaps now the Astrals were favoring you because what would have been a harsh landing was softened as Prompto caught your upper body before it could hit the ground.

* * *

The power core was going to blow any minute, but even then there was no way Prompto was willing to just  _ leave _ you there! You had jumped in to save him when, as far as he was concerned, you had no reason to.

"Are we really just going to leave her here?" He shouted quickly, the three others turning to look at him.

"You've gotta be kidding, we don't have time!" Gladio's voice boomed. His priority was Noctis and his inner circle. The idea of leaving you behind made him physically sick, especially knowing full well that doing so would spell your end. But at the start of this encounter you were an enemy, a powerful one at that. It would be a huge risk to take you with them. It was his  _ job _ to keep Noct safe.

"Prompto's right." Noctis agreed, speaking up in your defense quickly. "Without her we'd be dead! She's coming with us." As laid back and indecisive he could be, his mind was set. To him, you had proven yourself as an ally, even if it was just temporary. It wasn't often Noctis took a stand like this, so Gladio stopped his protesting and instead moved to pick you up.

He grimaced, knowing full well that someone your size should have weighed more than how you felt. Even Prompto felt heavier than you. And you were so small in his arms, worryingly so. But they had no time to say anything about it now, they had to sprint to the Regalia, the sounds coming from the generator getting louder and more intense. Car doors weren't even shut before Ignis was pressing down heavily on the gas.

Noctis and Prompto looked behind them as the car sped away, the power core blowing behind them, leaving the base in ruins. The shockwave blew past, shaking the car for a moment, but the drive was smooth after that. Noctis looked down at you, unconscious in his lap before he was working the familiar blue hue of his magic over you. Ignoring the surface bruises and lacerations in favor of focusing on the deeper, unseen injuries that Ramuh's lightning had most certainly caused.

Prompto stared while Noctis worked on you, thanking the Six numerous times over that his Prince couldn't say no to those in need. Even if it was just to fetch  _ beans _ of all things. He hadn't wanted to leave you behind, even if he had to carry you himself. There were too many reasons to bring you with them. You had betrayed your country to help them. You took a hit from an Astral to save him. And most of all, you had a very familiar tattoo on your wrist.

No, there was nothing that would have made Prompto leave you behind.


End file.
